Drug arrest leads to violation of probation charge

By Carlos E. MedinaCorrespondent

Published: Monday, April 22, 2013 at 5:37 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, April 22, 2013 at 5:37 p.m.

Tayon Lavon Alexander is in trouble again. The man who pleaded no contest to beating three Chihuahua puppies to death recently was caught smoking marijuana in a car Sunday morning, according to Marion County Sheriff’s Office reports.

Alexander, 21, was seen in a parked car with another man in the 15000 block of South State Road 25 just before 2 a.m. Sunday. The pair appeared to be smoking a blunt, which is marijuana wrapped in a tobacco leaf.

Two deputies approached the car and smelled the odor of marijuana. The two men soon admitted they were smoking the drug, according to reports.

Alexander, who was sentenced to three years’ probation for animal cruelty charges in January, was arrested and now faces a drug charge and violation of probation.

Alexander accepted the probation deal offered by the Fifth Circuit State Attorney’s Office on Jan. 28. At the time he was in jail for a Jan. 7 arrest for retail petit theft at the Walmart on 4980 E. Silver Springs Blvd. He also was charged with resisting a merchant and resisting arrest without violence.

Alexander’s bail on the animal cruelty charges was revoked after the Jan. 7 arrest and he stayed in jail while the case moved through the system. He pleaded guilty to those charges on Feb. 20 and was sentence to 30 days in the county jail. He got credit for the time he spent in jail since the Jan. 7 arrest and was released, according to court records.

In December 2011, Alexander was arrested after three puppies were found dead in a Marion Oaks home. Necropsies on the animals determined they died of blunt force trauma. Arrest reports noted Alexander and his then girlfriend argued about the animals before they were killed.

At the time of the deal, prosecutors said the ex-girlfriend had since moved away and she also was not comfortable testifying against the father of her children.

Alexander was in the Marion County Jail on Monday afternoon, charged with one count of possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana. He was being held without bond on violation of probation charges.

<p>Tayon Lavon Alexander is in trouble again. The man who pleaded no contest to beating three Chihuahua puppies to death recently was caught smoking marijuana in a car Sunday morning, according to Marion County Sheriff's Office reports.</p><p>Alexander, 21, was seen in a parked car with another man in the 15000 block of South State Road 25 just before 2 a.m. Sunday. The pair appeared to be smoking a blunt, which is marijuana wrapped in a tobacco leaf.</p><p>Two deputies approached the car and smelled the odor of marijuana. The two men soon admitted they were smoking the drug, according to reports.</p><p>Alexander, who was sentenced to three years' probation for animal cruelty charges in January, was arrested and now faces a drug charge and violation of probation.</p><p>Alexander accepted the probation deal offered by the Fifth Circuit State Attorney's Office on Jan. 28. At the time he was in jail for a Jan. 7 arrest for retail petit theft at the Walmart on 4980 E. Silver Springs Blvd. He also was charged with resisting a merchant and resisting arrest without violence.</p><p>Alexander's bail on the animal cruelty charges was revoked after the Jan. 7 arrest and he stayed in jail while the case moved through the system. He pleaded guilty to those charges on Feb. 20 and was sentence to 30 days in the county jail. He got credit for the time he spent in jail since the Jan. 7 arrest and was released, according to court records.</p><p>In December 2011, Alexander was arrested after three puppies were found dead in a Marion Oaks home. Necropsies on the animals determined they died of blunt force trauma. Arrest reports noted Alexander and his then girlfriend argued about the animals before they were killed.</p><p>At the time of the deal, prosecutors said the ex-girlfriend had since moved away and she also was not comfortable testifying against the father of her children.</p><p>Alexander was in the Marion County Jail on Monday afternoon, charged with one count of possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana. He was being held without bond on violation of probation charges.</p>